e benefit of freedom by well-ordered
Governments, as in Israel's Commonwealth, and the troubles and
bondage which hath always attended oppression and oppressors, as
the State of Pharaoh and other tyrant kings, who said the Earth and
People were theirs, and only at their disposal.

"_Secondly_, Speeches may be made of all Arts and Sciences, some
one day some another, as in Physics, Chyrurgery, Astrology,
Astronomy, Navigation, Husbandry, and such like. And in these
speeches may be unfolded the nature of all herbs and plants, from
the Hysop to the Cedar, as Solomon writ of. Likewise men may come
to see into the nature of the fixed and wandering Stars, those
great powers of God in the heavens above. And hereby men will come
to know the secrets of Nature and Creation, within which all true
knowledge is wrapped up, and the light in man must arise to search
it out.

"_Thirdly_, Speeches may be made sometimes of the nature of
mankind, of his darkness and of his light, of his weakness and of
his strength, of his love and of his envy, of his inward and
outward bondages, of his inward and outward freedoms, etc. And this
is that at which the ministry of Churches generally aim; but only
that they confound their knowledge by imaginary study.... And thus
to speak, or thus to read the Law of Nature (or God) as He hath
written His name in every body, is to speak a pure language, and
this is to speak the truth as Jesus Christ spake it, giving to
everything its own weight and measure. By this means in time men
shall attain to the practical knowledge of God truly, that they may
serve Him in spirit and in truth: and this knowledge will not
deceive a man."

HIS ANSWER TO OBJECTIONS.

Then follows a passage which even to-day would bring down the wrath of
"zealous but ignorant professors" upon the head of any author
acknowledging it, if within their sphere of influence. He continues:

"'I,' but saith the zealous but ignorant Professor, 'this is a low
and carnal Ministry indeed; this leads men to know nothing but the
knowledge of the earth and the secrets of nature; but we are to
look after spiritual and heavenly things.'

"I answer: 'To know the secrets of nature is to know the works of
God; and to know the works of God within the Creation, is to know
God himself; fo